Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1887-05-24
CHAPTER VIII.

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CHAPTER VIII
THE FEAST, AND AFTER
On tho day following this remarkable
scene. a scene calculated to mike deep i'm
preston upon anybody who beheld it, NOR,
because of what it suggested and seemed :,
foreshadow, than for what it revealed, it wal
announced to MS that feast would be hell
that evening in our honor. did my best 4
get out of it. saving that we were modes
people. and cared little for fensts, but my re
marks being received with the silence Of dis
pleasure. | thought is wisest to hold my
tongue
Accordingly, Just before shutdown, was
informed that everything was ready, and, ac
companied by Job, went into the cave, where
/ met Leo, who was, as usual, followed by
Ustane. These two had been out walking
somewhere, and knew nothing Of the pro
jected festivity till that moment When
Ustane heard 1t saw an expression OF horror
spring upon her handsome features. Turn
ing, she caught man who was passing up
the cave by the arm, and asked him some
thing In an imperious tone His answer
seemed TO reassure her a little, for she looked
relieved, though far from satisfied Next she
appeared TO attempt some remonstrance with
the man, who was n person in authority, but
he smoke angrily to her, and shook her off,
and then changing his mind, led her by the
arm, and sat her down between himself and
another man in the circle round the fire, and
l perceived that for some reason of her own
she thought 1t best to submit
The fire In the cave was an unusually big
one that night, and in a large circle round it
were gathered about tkirty-five mon and two
women. Ustane and the woman to avoid
whom Job had played the role of another
Scriptural character. The men were sitting
IN perfect silence, as was their custom, each
with his great spear stuck upright behind him
In n socket cut in the rock for that purpose
Only one or two wore the yellowish linen gar
ment of which | have spoken; tho rest had
notbng on excent the leopard,s skin about the
middle.
,sVbat,s mn now. STRIP said Job. doubtfully.
"Bless ms and save us. there's that woman
aoainl Now surely sbe can't be after me.
seeing that / have given her no encourage
ment They give me the creeps, the whole
lot of them. and that's fact. Why. look
they have asked Mahomed to dine, too. There,
that lndv of mine is talking to him In ms nice
and civil way as possible. Wen, I'm glad it
isn't me. that's ALL
We looked up, and sure enough. the woman
in question had risen. and was escorting the
wretch Mahomed from the corner. where.
overcome by some acute prescience of horror,
be had been seated. shiverinp, and calling ON
Allah. He appeared unwilling enough TO
come. IL for no other reason, perhaps. because
it was an unaccustomed honor, for hitherto
his food had been given to him apart. Any
way, [ could see that he WINS In a state of
great terror, for his tottering legs would
scarcely support his stout, bulky form, and
think it was rather owing to the resources Of
barbarism behind him, in tho shape of huge
Amahagger with o proportionately huge
spear, than to the seduction Of the Indy who
led him by tho hand that he consented to
come at ALL rsf
"Well," said to tho others, II don't at all
like the look Of things, but suppose that VIC
must face it out. Have you fellows got your
revolvers ont because, II so, you had better
see that they ore loaded"
II have, sir,n said job, tapping his Colt,
"but Mr.. Leo has only got his hunting knife,
though that Is big enough, surely
Feeling that 1t would not do to wait while
the missing weapon was fetched, we advanced
boldly, and seated ourselves in line, with
our backs against tho side Of tho cave
As soon as wo were seated, an .earthenware
jar was passed round containing fermented
fluid, Of by no means unpleasant taste, though
apt to turn upon the stomach. made Of
crushed grain-not Indian corn, but small
brown grain that grows upon the stem in
clusters, not unlike that which in the southern
part of Africa is known by the name Of
KafRer corn The vase in which this LIQUID
was handed round was very curious, and as
It more or less resembled many hundreds Of
others in use among the Amahagger, may
as well describe it. These vases are of d
very ancient manufacture, and of all sizes
None such can have been made in the coun.
try for hundreds, or rather thousands, OF
years. They are found in the rock tombs, Of
which shall give description in their
proper place, and my own belief is that, after
the fashion of tho Egyptians, with whom the
former inhabitants Of this country may have
had some connection, they were used TO re.
ceive the viscera of the dead. Leo however,
Is of the opinion that, like the Etruscan am
phorn, they were merely placed there for tho
spiritual use of the deceased. They nre most
~ WV ntlluleu, ana OF all Sizes, some being
nearly three feet in height, and running from
that down to as many inches. In shape they
vary, but arc all exceedingly beautiful and
graceful. being made Of very fine black
ware, not lustrous, but slightly rough. On
this groundwork were inlaid figures much
more graceful and lifelike than any others j
have seen on antique vases Some of these
inlaid pictures represented love scenes with a
childlike simplicity and freedom OF manner
which would not commend itself to the taste
of the present day. Others again were pict-
;sss 5ss iIssit3e;;s dancing, and others again
were hunting scenes. For instance, the very
vase from which we were now drinking had
on one side most spirited drawing of men,
apparently white in color, attacking bull
elephant with spears, while on the reverse
was picture, not quite SO well done, of a
hnntar ehootiuer M, arroxv M n ,,tnnino ante-